RARE NEUROSURGICAL DISEASE: TRIGEMINAL SCHWANNOMA -LITERATURE REVIEW
Abstract
Trigeminal schwannomas are very rare primary benign cerebral tumours. They represent less than 0,5% of all cerebral tumours and between 0.8-8% of all types of cerebral schwannomas. The main clinical features are intense neuralgia, neurasthenia, and numbness, making it difficult to diagnose without using imagistic techniques. For patients with this kind of uncommon slow-growing encapsulated tumours, surgery and/or Gamma Knife Surgery is recommended. Each case must be thoroughly analysed and its therapeutic strategy must be adapted to the patients age, associated pathology, type of tumour (cystic or solid), the status of the brain`s midline, etc. Of course, the entire neuro-imagistic arsenal must be used to obtain as much data as possible. Another important aid in operating these cases is represented by the neuronavigation module and intraoperative neurophysiological cranial nerve monitoring. Considering the rarity of the disease, the authors present a literature overview of 730 cases and analyse them considering all the criteria available (incidence, symptoms, size, localization, surgical approach and complications).